Garden #1
Ice Pond Farm
This farm has some interesting topography including a valley with an ice pond that sometimes gets black ice and a stone wall that pretends it’s a roller coaster. An icehouse, smokehouse, spring house, and an “outhouse with a view” are points of interest. Enjoy the perennial borders, bocce court, mini-orchard, gazebo, wildflower walk, and stone bridge along with an allee of crabapples, a hillside woodland garden and vistas of fields.
Garden #2
Espalier Extraordinaire
Beautiful rural influences in this English garden include a pear espaliẻr which encloses a small vegetable garden. A perennial border on the east side resonates with color when in bloom. From the back deck you can see sweeps of grass and trees that lead to a brook and woods. Be fascinated by the architectural phenomenon and hear the story of how the house captures the essence of the structure it encapsulated.
Garden #3
Walking Through Thyme
Enter through a trellis of concord grapes and walk through a pathway of fresh herbs to view how working with nature develops this garden canvas. This garden is an interaction with the sun, the rain, beneficial and not-so-beneficial insects/animals, and the soil. Surrounded by a 90-acre preserve, the fenced-in property provides a refuge from some of the damage the overpopulated deer are doing to the forest understory and native wildflowers.
Garden #4
Bylane Farm, Bedford Audubon Society
Bonus Location
Featuring a 320-acre sanctuary, Bylane Farms, with its 18th century farmhouse, offers a native plant garden and a bird-friendly, pesticide free vegetable garden, along with a brand-new wetlands garden.
Garden #5
Nature’s Bounty
This is an eclectic collection of little gardens garden which are easy to create and maintain. These “naturalized” gardens surround the house. Walk through this garden oasis complete with exciting water features, a vast assortment of perennial shade- and sun-loving plants and shrubs, and spectacular fragrant specimen trees. Enjoy nature’s bounty along with the song birds, hummingbirds and butterflies who find it alluring.
Garden #6
Multi-Faceted Gem
This garden’s many facets include: perennial borders, two water gardens, a formal vegetable garden, a wildflower garden, a fern garden, a marsh garden, a tree platform overlooking the marshlands, a woodland walk, a hidden garden, and a formal croquet court. Points of interest include foliage with interesting colors and textures along with lush planters. The beauty of this garden is that the homeowner was responsible for all of its design components from the get-go. Be intrigued by this intensively planted landscape interspersed with water features.
Garden # 7
Brae Willows
Brae Willows, a one-acre, 42-year-old garden, was completely designed and planted by the owner who also does all of the maintenance. Only the pruning of the large hedges and fall leaf cleanup are professionally done. Divided by a seasonal creek that winds its way through to the Mianus River bordering the back of the property, the garden was designed to be visually stimulating without having it look like wetlands. In this garden, you will find seclusion, surprise, serenity, and year-round beauty. Meticulous attention has been paid to detail in this stunning garden to emphasize structure, form, and texture.
Garden #8
Un Morceau de Paradis
Un Morceau de Paradis, aka A Piece of Paradise, delights the senses. A unique combination of plant collections, natural and man-made features, and animal and bird-friendly environments make up the foundation of this garden. The specimen trees and plants are beautiful and fascinating to gaze upon.
This property consists of variety of seven garden themes: Japanese, Italian, herb, vegetable, woodland, aquatic and butterfly. Also included are an orchard that contains nectarine, apricot, peach, cherry, pear, plum, apple and fig trees together with raspberry bushes and grape vines.
Garden #9
Rock Solid Beauty
Two-and-one-half wooded acres, complete with two ponds, towering trees and interesting rock formations, create a dramatic backdrop for a diverse collection of perennial beds designed and maintained by the property owners. It is home to a variety of moisture-loving plants, both sun-lit and shaded. The main garden, a sun-drenched hillside terraced with large boulders, showcases many of the 150+ varieties of perennials planted throughout the property, most selected for reliability and supposed deer resistance.
Garden #10
Japanese Stroll Gardens at the Hammond Museum
*Available only for luncheon.
The Japanese garden invites contemplation. Every design element is carefully planned to give structure to an idea. The rocks, sand, water and plants create a microcosmic universe in which the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Garden #11
Brookside Garden at the Marsh Sanctuary
Bonus Location
The gardens surround Brookside Cottage with paths and bridges running from the house and parking area to the lawn, planting beds, and amphitheater. This year, the director of the Marsh Sanctuary began the first of a five-year garden scheme, planting over 500 trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers in different sectors of the preserve. Trails extending from the amphitheater guide visitors to other sections of the Marsh Sanctuary including a duck pond and hilltop views that extend to Bear Mountain.
